Strengthening healthcare delivery in Haiti through nursing continuing education.

AIM

The aim of this paper was to (1) highlight nursing continuing education as a key initiative for strengthening healthcare delivery in low-resource settings, and (2) provide an example of a nursing continuing education programme in Haiti.

BACKGROUND

Haiti and other low-resource settings face extreme challenges including severe shortages of healthcare workers, high rates of nurse out-migration and variations in nurse competency at entry-to-practice. Nursing continuing education has the potential to address these challenges and improve healthcare delivery through enhanced nurse performance and retention; however, it is underutilized in low-resource settings.

METHODS

A case study is presented from the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Mirebalais, Haiti of a new nursing continuing education programme called the Beyond Expert Program.

RESULTS

The case study highlights eight key dimensions of nursing continuing education in low-resource settings: (1) involving local stakeholders in planning process, (2) targeting programme to nurse participant level and area of care, (3) basing course content on local context, (4) including diverse range of nursing topics, (5) using participatory teaching methods, (6) addressing resource constraints in time and scheduling, (7) evaluating and monitoring outcomes, and (8) establishing partnerships. The case study provides guidance for others wishing to develop programmes in similar settings.

CONCLUSION

Creating a nursing continuing education programme in a low-resource setting is possible when there is commitment and engagement for nursing continuing education at all levels of the organization.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

Our report suggests a need for policy-makers in resource-limited settings to make greater investments in nursing continuing education as a focus of human resources for health, as it is an important strategy for promoting nurse retention, building the knowledge and skill of the existing nursing workforce, and raising the image of nursing in low-resource settings.